Bell: Colts display new identity in win over Seahawks

Oct. 7, 2013
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) goes into a slide at the end of a first half scramble against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Oct. 6, 2013. / Pat Lovell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS - As he headed out of the locker room on the winning side of a major comeback in a statement game, wide receiver Reggie Wayne insisted he would not compare.

The Indianapolis Colts elder statesman, almost halfway through his 13th season with the franchise, even rolled his eyes at the notion Sunday.

"I would never compare this team to the other era," Wayne told USA TODAY Sports. "Why should I? This is a totally different team with a totally different mind-set and a totally different system. It's different from the top on down."

He paused, then added: "OK, if there's one thing that's the same, this team will never quit."

The Colts rallied from an early 12-point deficit to knock the Seattle Seahawks from the unbeaten ranks in a 34-28 thriller that reflected the changing times.

The Colts (4-1) had plenty of comebacks when Peyton Manning was the centerpiece of the franchise. But not quite with this type of script. These are the post-Manning Colts, built in a totally different image.

Sure, they have the franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck. And like Manning, he's money in the fourth quarter. Luck has started 21 regular-season games in the NFL, and he has notched nine victories that came with game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.

Against the Seahawks, Luck coolly triggered a 14-play, 86-yard go-ahead drive and capped it with a two-point conversion pass to Wayne on a busted play. As Luck rolled out and threw a laser on the run to avoid pressure, Wayne turned a corner route into a cross. It all showed just how valuable franchise quarterbacks are.

But this victory wasn't only about Luck, who threw for 229 yards (and not, say, the 414 yards Peyton Manning threw for Sunday):

The Colts got a touchdown off a blocked field goal attempt, with Delano Howell's 61-yard return.

The defense hung tough, and after getting burned by Russell Wilson's scrambling for much of the game, producing game-clinching plays at the finish.

On Seattle's next-to-last possession, linebacker Jerrell Freeman chased down Wilson for no gain on a third-and-2 sprint around left end.

On the Seahawks' final drive, cornerback Darius Butler intercepted Wilson as Freeman barreled toward the pocket on another blitz.

And get this: When the Colts faced a third-and-5 on the fourth-quarter drive that padded the lead with a field goal, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton didn't put it on Luck's arm. He called for a run by Trent Richardson. First down.

That might have been the most surprising play call of the game, except that Hamilton has declared repeatedly that he wants a power rushing game and balance.

These are the new Colts, gritty and tough enough to beat in a three-week span two of the most physical Super Bowl contenders - the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

Listen to Pagano, and there's no mistaking the team identity he and second-year general manager Ryan Grigson are molding. In his postgame news conference, Pagano referred to body blows and boxing matches at least a half-dozen times. He also talked about drawing a line in the sand that they can run the football.

In today's pass-happy NFL?

Talk about the new Colts. In Pagano's mind, it still matters to run the ball. The Seahawks, thanks to Wilson's scrambling, rushed for twice as many yards. But after gaining 29 yards on the ground in the first half, the Colts stuck with it and finished with 109 on 29 attempts.

At halftime, Pagano asked, "Can we run the football?"

"Everyone, to a man, said, 'Yes,'" Pagano said.

Coincidentally, Luck had 29 passing attempts. So there's your balance. But that was only part of the statement the Colts made Sunday.

Against a team that entered the game outscoring opponents 44-7 in the fourth quarter and overtime this season, the Colts scored 11 unanswered points in the final quarter. That, too, is part of the grand plan to win grueling slugfests when it matters most. With balanced toughness.

"I think this game explains what we've set out to do," Pagano said. "If we are fortunate enough to be playing January football, that's what wins games."